Daniel Gordon’s latest documentary, on the life of the irresistible, troubled footballer George Best, begins with an anecdote of the Manchester United legend in his later years, ambling, drunk, in the middle of the street in the pouring rain, a mere shadow of the man who once adorned the turf of Old Trafford. While recent documentaries on Paul Gascoigne and Bobby Moore avoided the destructive nature, and less illuminating years of the subject’s lives, Gordon signals his intentions from the offset, with the tragic elements to the great man’s life a paramount focus, as prevalent within this endeavour as the glory – and what transpires is a truly compelling piece of cinema.
Before we have the chance to educate ourselves on the subject himself, Gordon provides the viewer some valuable context, with a brief sequence concerning the Munich Air Disaster that saw several members of the Manchester United first team killed. Though predating Best’s move to the Red Devils by three years, it’s imperative we bear this in mind, for this was a club who longed for a new hero, a team rebuilding itself from the bottom up, and Best was the saviour the fans craved. The man to evoke that indelible excitement again and to reignite a passion for the sport – and this played into what propelled this young, Northern Irish teenager into a worldwide sensation, culminating by scoring the goal that gave United the lead in the European Cup final against Benfica – a trophy the fans wanted to win more than any other.
This documentary works too as a study of society in the 1960s, and how Best can really be accredited as spawning the birth of celebrity culture within the sport in Britain, transcending legend status off the pitch, making front page news as well appearing regularly on the back. He was an icon, and created something of a brand for himself, a true pop star. Through this there are similarities between this feature and the Oscar-winning Amy, both studiously lingering over immensely gifted individuals that followed a somewhat similar path, once a wide-eyed youngster with the world at their feet, only to then press the self-destruct button – while being nudged in the back by the press who made their lives a misery at times, building them up and then standing back and rubbing their hands with glee as they watch them fall.
Told well, through talking head interviews with former partners and teammates, it’s having Best narrating the tale himself, through a radio interview he had undertaken not long before he passed away in 2005, that allows this to stand out. He doesn’t speak about the scene that bookends this title however, with that upsetting image of him hunched over in the rain during one of his benders. It’s an anecdote that it’s vital we begin with, for it adds an even greater sense of poignancy and peppers his upbringing with a sense of regret, as we regress back and meet the innocent, charismatic young lad who first signed for United. George Best had magic in his feet and a sparkle in his eyes. It was always inevitable that the first would eventually go – it’s just so immensely sad the latter went with it.
Best is released on February 24th.
